Flying-machine.



PATENTED JUNE 4, 19 07. R. LEWITZ.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13,1906.

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PATENTED- JUNE 4, 1907.

'4 SHEETSSHEET z.

No. 856,073. PATENTED JUNE 4, 1907. R. LEWITZ. FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1906.

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PATENTED JUNE 4, 1907.

R. LEWITZ.

FLYIN APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 1a. 1906.

G MACHINE.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

s y a e REINHOLD LEWITZ, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

fatented June 4, 1907.

Application filed June-13, 1906. Serial No. 321,423.

To all, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, REINHOLDLEWITZ, a

. citizen of the Empire of Germany, residing specification.

This invention relates to an improved flying machine which is raised andlowered in the air and propelled and steered in the same by motor powerwithout a balloon-field. The lifting, lowering, driving, steering andbalancing in the air in relation to the longitudinal transverse axis isaccomplished by two motors which are located symmetrically to thevertical central axis and in line with the longitudinal axis of theflyingmachine.

The invention consists of a fl 'ng machine which comprises a supporti fr ame having braced front and rear ends, motors support ad by said framein line with the longitudinal axis of the same, a pair of lowering andlifting wheels supported on independent shafts, one withinthe other,and. driven in opposite direction to each other, two sets ofbalancing-wheels below said lifting and lowering wheels, the wheels ofeach pair being moved in opposite direction to each other, a pair offorwardly or-backwardly-driving wheels which likewise are applied toindependent shafts to which rotary motion in opposite di-.

. rection is imparted, said driving-wheels being located at the frontend of the supporting-frame, and a steering-wheel at the rear end of vthe supporting-frame, and vertical wings located at op osite sides ofthesupporting-frame and a apted to impart, in connection with the rearwheel or propeller, a steering action to the structure.

The invention consists further in the novel construction of thedifferent lifting and lowering wheels, balancing-wheels, drivingwheelsand steering-wheel, and in certain additional detailsofc'onstruction which will be fully described hereinafter and finallypointed out n the claims. I

In the accompanying drawin'gsLFigure 1 represents aside-elevation of myimproved flying machine, Fig. 2 is a plan-view of the same, partly insection, the lifting and lowering wheels and balancing-wheels beingindicated in dotted lines, Fig. 3 is-a rear-elevation of theil'lifyingmachine, Fig. 4 is'a planting and lowering wheels, show 111gone form of construction of the same,

yiew of the l bottom part, so as to permit the Fig. 5 is a side-view ofFig. 4, and "Fig. dis a vertical central section on line 6, 6, Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thedifferent figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 11 represents the supporting-frame of myimproved flying machine. This frame is made of oblong side, base and toptubes, preferably of aluminium, thin steel or other light iyet strongmaterial. The oblong'sup .ortingv braced so as to have'the requireddegree of stiffness and strength, the bottom frame being provided with aplatform on which two motors m, m, one located in the front and theother in the rear of the vertical axis of the machine and equidistantlytherefrom so as to be properlybalanced, are supported. Any suitableconstruction of gasolene or other motor may be used, provided the sameossesses the. required strength and lightness.

n the center, between the motors m, m is arranged a suitable railing 12forming an inclosure for passengers, while the motormen are placed nearthe motors in any suitable manner.

The supporting-frame is provided with a forwardly-extendlng brace-framea and with' the tubular shaft so as to extend beyond the same, eachshaft s, s carrying a driving- Wheel d, d, which wheels are rotated bysuitable power transmission from the front motorin opposite direction toeach other so as to produce a driving action on the flying machineeither in forward direction or in backward direct on, according to thedirection of motion of the two driving-wheels d, 01 The rear brace-frame0 supports a vertical steering-wheel e, the shaft of which is supportedtransversely in bearings of the brace-frame a said steering-wheelreceiving rotary motion from the rear motor m or any suitablepower-transmitting mechanism from the same. The support' frame a isprovided with a number of c ii s hion-sprin sit at the owering to andresting on theground of the flying machine. J i In. centralstep-and-neck bearings of the su porting-frame a is supported an uprighttubular shaft 8 within w 'ch is arrangeda ame a is properly "Inc, I

second shaft 8 that turns through the tubuthe opposite direction forpermitting the lOW- ering of the flying machine. Below the lifting andlowering wheels f, f and immediatel y above the to of thesupporting-frame a, are arranged our rotary wheels 9, to which I havegiven the name of balancing wheels, which are applied to vertical shafts9 that turn in neck-bearings of the supporting-frame near the cornersthereof, all of them being of equal diameter, and smaller in size thanthe lifting and lowering wheels, the pair of front balancing-Wheelsrotating in opposite direction to each other and the pair of rear wheelsalso rotating in opposite direction to each other and to the frontwheels, as

clearly indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. Motlon is imparted to thetwo'pairs of balancing-Wheels by the motors m, m the front Wheelsreceiving motion from the motor m and the rear wheels receiving motionfrom the motor m by means of suitable chain-andsprocket-wheeltransmissions, which are indicated diagrammatically in Fig. .2. All thevertical shafts of the lifting and lowering wheels and balancing-wheelsare provided with antifriction roller bearings so as to reduce thefriction as much as possible.

At opposite sides of the sup orting-frame a and centrally to theside-ffames of the same, are pivoted in suitable bearings two wings w, w

- ward or backward direction, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, andwhich are adjusted slmultaneousl y at an angle of 90 to the sideframes,or at a lesser angle, according as the machine is to bedriven to theright or lefthand side, the position of the wings holdingbalancing-wheels, are

the machine before the wind, in connection with the steering action ofthe fund propeller,

according as the same is turned in one or the opposite direction. r

he lifting and lowering wheels, and the referably made of theconstruction shown in igs. 4 to 6, in which a central group u ofvertical tubes is arranged around a shaft, a second group 'v, concentricto the inner group, of slightly inclined tubes, and a third group of stil more inclined tubes, which gradua 1y decrease in size from the innertoward the outer circumference of the group, and which overlap? eachother at the ends, as shown clearly in igs. 4 to 6.

The tubes forming the wheelsare made of thin waterproofed orparchmentized pa er, or canvas-covered-tubes, or alumln um to es, so

ich are capable of motion in for that the required degree of lightnessis obtained. As the different groups'of tubes forming the wheels arerapidly moved through the air, the air is forced through all theinclined tubes, whereby the lifting action is imparted when the twopairs of wheels f, f are turned in one direction toward each other, orthe lowering action imparted when the same are turned in oppositedirection to the former motion. The group it of vertical tubes is usedmerely for sup orting the inclined tubes. The construction 0 thesewheels is based on the same principle, a pair of each being arrangedwith the exception of the steeringwheel, which is a single wheel. Thearrangement inpairs of the lifting and lowering, driving and balancingwheels, is for the purpose of equalizing the effect of the same on thesupporting-frame of the machine. Each of the driving and steering wheelsis construct- .ed-of a single group of inclined tubes arranged as shownin Fig. 1.

Any approved power-transmitting mechanism between the motors and theshafts of the different wheels is employed for imparting the differentmotions required. The steering-wings are, operated by a suitable levermechanism .by the man attending the rear motor, who also has charge ofthe direction of motion in which thesteering-wheel e is to be rotated.By permitting the steeringwheel to rotate in one or the opposite direc-'tion and setting simultaneously the steering wings in one or theopposite direction to the vertical transverse axis of the flyingmachine, the steering of the same toward the right or the left hand isproduced, while the motion in forward or backward direction is obtainedby the driving-wheels d, (P, and the lifting and lowering of thestructure by the pairs of lifting and lowering wheels f, f and the twopairs of balancing-wheels g. a

By the cooperation of the different rotating wheels, the requiredmotions are imparted to the flying machine and its steady position inthe air obtained, While the steering takes lace by the rear wheel inconnection with t e steering-wings at the sides of the supporting-frame.

My improved flying machine combines great lightness with strength as thematerial employed in making the supporting-frame, Wheels and wings is ofthe greatest possible lightness consistent with strength. By waterproofing the different wheels, the flying machine can be used whileit rains as the rain has no effect on the'same. Owing to the eedimparted to the different sets of wheels,

s the flying machine can be raised or lowered,

moved forward or backward, or steered to one side or the other, it beingwithin the control of the motorman, and built of the proper size,'ascalculated by the weight of the machine, .;its motors andaccessories.Ascensions can be made regardless- 0f the temperature of the air and thedirection and velocity of "the wind, the machine being propelled withgreater ease in a direction opposite the direction of the wind than withthe same, and guaranteeing by the almost entire substitution of rotarymotion in all the driving-wheels and the avoidance of reciprocatingmotion, that approach to a motor-driven flying machine which has beensought after for some time, and is still sought after, by the inventorsdevoted to this class of machines.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent: 7

1. A flying machine consisting of a supporting-frame with tapering frontand rear brace-frames, two large-sized lifting and lowering wheels abovethe supporting-frame ro' tating in op osite direction to eachother, two.pairs of alancing-wlieels, the wheels of each pair rotating inoppositedirectionto each other, a pair of front drixring-wheels rotating inopposite direction to each other, a rear steering-wheel, motors on thesupportmg frame, and motion-transmitting mechanism between the motorsand the shafts of the different wheels. V

2. A flying machine consistingof a supporting-frame with tapering frontand rear race-frames, two large-sized lifting and lowering wheels abovethe supporting-frame rotating in o posite directlon to eachother, twopairs 0 alancing-wheels, the wheels of each pair rotating in oppositedirection to each other, a pairof front driving-wheels rotating inopposite direction to each other, a rear steering-wheel, motors on thesupporting frame, motion-transmitting mechanism between the motors andthe shafts of the different wheels, steering-wings attached to oppositesides of the supporting-frame, and means for setting the same atsuitable angles to the transverse center-plane of the machine inconnection with the motion of the steeringwheel.

3. In a flying machine, a wheel constructed of a number of groupsqofair-cutting tubes,

an inner central vertical group, an intermediate inclined set of tubes,and a set of cir- REINHOLD LEWITZ.

Witnesses:

PAU GoEPEL,

\ HENRY J. SUHRBI'ER.

